


It.

by cafemints



Series: from: eri [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Holding Hands, I Am Sorry, M/M, Short One Shot, bassist mingi, but it's not centered around band ateez, drummer jongho, lead guitarist hongjoong, lead guitarist seonghwa, not horror i promise, unbeta, vocalist yunho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:48:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22788208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cafemints/pseuds/cafemints
Summary: “Dare.”Because that’s a very good idea to show off to Hongjoong’s friends, to prove to them that he is someone he is actually not.“We dare you to go to the cinemas and watch a horror movie alone.”Now that - that is a bad idea, especially that Hongjoong himself is a total coward;And especially that a stranger that goes by the name Seonghwa is sitting right next to him in the cinema and he keeps on holding his hand.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: from: eri [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1646638
Comments: 16
Kudos: 310





	It.

**Author's Note:**

> [♡]. . . for the anon on my [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/aurorahs) who sent me this prompt. thank you so much! i enjoyed writing this one!

How did Hongjoong even end up here?

The last thing he remembers is that his friends were teasing him and calling him childish names such as “coward” again and again after he insists on choosing truth over dare. He even remembers standing up and yelling at them: “Then, why did you give me options? I have the freedom to choose!”

It was not the best response anyways - he knows that so well. He also knows that his friends would tease him more after that and would proceed on calling him more childish names such as “nerd.” He would not take it seriously, though. For men at age 17, he would like to think everything is completely normal.

And it is. It is completely normal for younger boys to give a so-called peer pressure on their older friend to the point where they would annoy the hell out of him until he agrees. It is not new anymore, especially in the case of Yunho, Mingi, and Jongho, who know very well that their friend, whom they consider as a “father,” would do everything for them. Sometimes, it’s because he wants to spoil them like they are his very own dearest children. Sometimes, it is only to shut them up.

However, this time, though, is different.

Hongjoong is well aware that they very much look up to him at all times. May it be on his leadership and how he manages their band; may it be on how he plays the guitar, how he shows off with a freestyle, fingers shifting fast from fret to fret, from string to another string; and may it even be outside of their band - how he is good at art, how he is doing well in biology, how he is basically a prodigy at everything.

His young friends always look at him like he is the coolest person that has ever stepped on earth. Hongjoong doesn’t want to let any of them down.

(Or maybe it is to feed his own pride and ego as well.)

So, after all the teasing, Hongjoong rolls his eyes and finally agrees. “Fine. Dare.”

The youngsters cheer. Jongho hits the crash of the drums with his stick before he stands up from his stool. He joins the other two who have already gathered in front of Hongjoong, who is still sitting on the couch with the electric guitar on his lap.

“You seem so prepared for this and I’m beginning to be very concerned,” Hongjoong adds as he gives them a quick glance only to focus back on tuning the guitar.

“Yes, we are!” Mingi says excitedly, pointing the tip of the drumstick he snatched from Jongho to the older.

Hongjoong groans a little as he runs his fingers through his red hair. He gets the guitar off his lap and then, crosses his arms across his chest. “Shoot.”

Yunho giggles first before he pulls out what seems to be a ticket from the back pocket of his ripped jeans. Apparently, it’s a ticket to the cinemas.

“We dare you to go to the cinemas and watch a horror movie alone.”

And apparently, it’s a ticket to Hongjoong’s death, too.

Horror movies are certainly not his type of coffee or maybe, it’s a drink he would never dare drink at all. He cannot make sense out of wasting his time, energy, and money for something that could only send him endless heart attacks. For him, it seems like paying for his own funeral.

Aside from that, of course, Hongjoong is - well - a coward. And he is an _intense_ coward.

When he stays up practicing on their song and then, he notices it is already 3 o’clock at dawn, his mind would instantly remember Mingi telling him about how it is the “demon hour.” So, he would stop then and would go to his bed, but he would not sleep yet. He would scroll through his phone only until another hour passes - that would be the cue for him to fall asleep, despite how droopy his eyes already feels.

And when he is left alone in the music room, he would sometimes begin to think of things - something crawling, something humming along with his guitar, or something that would move across the room or up in the air. His own thoughts would make his heart beat so fast that he would hurry and leave the room before anything from his thoughts could happen.

The thing is none of his friends know about this or even anyone outside of his friend group. Hongjoong is that _cool band dude._ How could he be scared of anything that is supernatural?

So, Hongjoong fakes a scoff as he snatches the ticket off Yunho’s hand. He checks it out and reads the title of the movie - _IT 2._ He has heard a lot about this movie and even about its book and its every version. He has heard something about the clown and that’s all he knows. 

But, clowns are for children, right? It shouldn’t be so scary.

“You call this a dare?” Hongjoong brags, a shaky smug smile on his face as he keeps the ticket inside his wallet.

His friends then sing a chorus of amazement, filling in the music room with their wow’s. “Our leader really is so cool,” Mingi says, nudging Yunho by the elbow.

“We will come with you to the mall, alright?” says Yunho with a tricky smile on his face.

And that’s how Hongjoong ends up here, in a queue with strangers leading to the cinema, rolling his eyes at his three friends who are waiting outside the line and are excitedly chewing on the popcorn they bought.

As soon as Hongjoong steps inside the dark and vast room, commercials are already playing on the big screen. Despite the dark, he tries his best to look for his seat - H23, right in the middle of the room where he could possibly see every single scene. 

He sits on the assigned chair and places his cup of soft drink in the armrest in between him and the guy next to him, causing the latter to move his arm from it. He then gives him a small smile, which is returned anyways as soon as their eyes meet. And he thinks he has seen him somewhere. Maybe from their school or just outside the cinema. He isn’t very sure, so he sets the thought aside and focuses on the screen instead.

Watching the commercials from ahead, Hongjoong feels intense annoyance against his friends because he is beginning to realize that the three of them, every single one of them has really planned this day so well and he has no idea why or at least why, all of a sudden, did they decide to pull Hongjoong into this stupid goddamn dare. Out of every shenanigan they plan in their heads, why did they have to choose this for him?

But then again, Hongjoong could never refuse them or admit defeat on them. Besides, this movie, whatever this is all about, is only for over two hours. Two hours of his life only about a single clown. It should not be so bad.

However, everyone knows that’s what he thought.

Because only a few minutes into the film - _few minutes_ \- and Hongjoong has already found himself screaming for his dear life, holding on to whatever he could hold by his sides; whatever it could be - it could be the armrest, his cup of soft drink, or the hand of the clown he saw from the movie-

Hongjoong nearly jumps from that thought, his right hand immediately letting go. Then, he breathes, tries to calm himself down as he pretends moments from a little while ago did and never did happen. Ever.

But, he could spend all day long not admitting the fact that he is goddamn scared over the face of the clown and that he screams over the littlest jumpscares here and there only for him to keep on holding on to the hand of the guy next to him. Again and again, only for him to let go of it again, feeling embarrassed at himself, because who in the world would want to hold a stranger’s hand? That would be so strange.

Yet Hongjoong keeps on doing it anyway.

Still, he would always let go afterwards and try to keep his hands to himself, sometimes even keeping them in the pockets of his sweater. However, it is as if it is already a reflex - that when he squeals over a jumpscare, his hands would automatically look for something to hold. It just so happens that it is _his hand._ A total stranger’s hand. Strange. It really is.

What’s stranger is that one time, when Hongjoong yet again screams for his dear life, when his hand falls on the stranger’s hand once more, and when he tries to let go again. That time, the stranger doesn’t let him. He keeps ahold of him, their hands clasped together.

Hongjoong gets distracted by this and turns his eyes from the screen to their interlocked hands. Then, he looks over to the boy next to him. Dark hair. Bored eyes. Nose turned up just right. Lips sealed shut. The first thought that comes into Hongjoong’s mind is how can he look so bored when there is a horror movie with lots and lots of jumpscares in it is playing on a big screen before him?

“You keep on holding my hand anyways,” Hongjoong hears the stranger say before the latter tilts his head to the side and looks over to him, giving him a somewhat intimidating gaze. “So, why not?”

Hongjoong suddenly feels so small in his seat and in his sweater. Suddenly feeling breathless. Suddenly all out of words. He feels as if all the pride and ego he tried so hard to build by doing this dare have crumbled to pieces down to his feet. What a strange feeling, he thinks.

“Close your eyes,” he hears him speak again and he surprisingly finds himself closing his eyes in the end. He then hears inhumane sounds of groaning and hoarsely screaming. Hongjoong is beyond thankful he did close his eyes. Then, he feels a thumb rubbing circles over his hand, the strange touch giving him an unfamiliar sense of comfort.

“She’s drowning in blood and Pennywise showed up above her,” Hongjoong hears him narrate to him, as if he is telling him whatever is happening in the movie while he has his eyes closed. Then, he hears a soft chuckle. “It’s so ugly.”

“Pennywise?” Hongjoong asks softly.

“The clown. Pennywise.” Hongjoong remains silent at this. “You can open your eyes now.” And Hongjoong does open his eyes, but he doesn’t look at the screen right away. Instead, he looks over to the stranger, who is already looking back to him with a raised eyebrow. “Are you telling me you don’t even know who Pennywise is?”

Hongjoong feels such an idiot under that intimidating gaze. “This is the first time I’m seeing it.”

“This is season 2.”

“Oh,” he hums, feeling a little lost from the warm feeling of his hand against his and the strange touches of his thumb. “My friends only dared me to come in here and watch a horror movie.”

And finally, the boy breaks into a short chuckle. “And clearly, you are not having a good time.”

Hongjoong takes his eyes off him and back to the screen, returns to watching the movie even though he is feeling lost and not understanding whatever that is happening because his head is too clouded with his hand and the strange feeling it gives. So, so strange. Yet he keeps on thinking about it.

“I guess I am not,” he states, still thinking about their interlocked hands. But, he tries his best to dismiss every thought away. “So, what’s with him? Pennywise.”

“It’s basically a clown that kills people,” he explains shortly.

“I get that. But, why?” Hongjoong questions, now feeling really curious over it. “Every supernatural being has a reason why they haunt and kill, right? Is he like a ghost? A monster? A vampire?”

“Pennywise is it. It’s like its pronoun. I would like to think of it that way,” he replies, eyes still fixed on the screen. “And it’s a very strange thing. Like it’s still unidentified, unknown. That’s why it’s called literally just _it._ ”

Hongjoong hums as he nods his head, slowly beginning to understand everything. He is feeling less scared now that he has a tiny bit of knowledge of it and maybe now that he has his hand held by someone. Someone who is still unidentified. Someone who is still unknown.

Maybe he is the next _it_ in line for Hongjoong to learn.

“Close your eyes,” he hears him say again, but Hongjoong doesn’t close his eyes, even when the face of Pennywise and its odd other legs appear on the screen.

“It’s okay,” Hongjoong says, a smile on his face as he shifts his hand in the other’s, now intertwining them. “So, I’m starting to think you’re a huge fan.”

The stranger next to him nods. “This is the fifth time I’m watching it.”

“I’m not surprised. You know exactly when I should close my eyes,” Hongjoong replies, followed by soft chuckles coming from the both of them.

For the rest of the film, they sit together like that. Hand in hand while the stranger tries to explain to him parts Hongjoong’s clouded head can’t comprehend. And the more he speaks to him, the more Hongjoong learns that the identity of the well-known clown is indeed odd.

But, Hongjoong finds something else even more odd. It is this. It is his now. It is how he feels comfortable talking with a stranger he has only met in a theater after a lot of accidental holding hands. It is also that - how he strangely finds comfort in the warm touch of the other and how it keeps him calm in the middle of horror.

And Hongjoong thinks: maybe strange things can happen outside movies, too.

The movie ends and the credits come in with no bit of the movie in Hongjoong’s mind. Then, he feels the other finally let go of his hand as he stands up, leaving Hongjoong suddenly feeling lost in the dark and vast room.

But, he sets that feeling aside and still tries to make his way out of the theatre with the same stranger following him from behind.

As soon as he is out, the first thing he sees is his own friends with bright smiles and all.

And the next thing he sees is that same stranger coming over to Yunho and then, gives him a very friendly high-five.

And the next thing Hongjoong feels is he is beyond confused.

“How was the movie?” Jongho questions quite teasingly, a smirk playing in his lips.

“You guys know each other?” Hongjoong asks in a high-pitched tone, surprise apparent in his voice as he points at them simultaneously.

“Of course, we do know Seonghwa,” Yunho says, a very wide and tricky smile playing on his face.

Hongjoong furrows his brows at the mention of a name. “And how?”

The said Seonghwa flashes him a smile. “Go out with me and you will know.”

Hongjoong debates whether to continuously trust the stranger who goes by the name Seonghwa or not. He has honestly had a good time with him in the theatre. Going out with him should not be so bad. But, he still feels doubtful as he has already made a lot of decisions he thought is a good thing to do in just a day.

But in the end, in the case of having such friends as Yunho, Jongho, and Mingi, one has no other choice.

After a lot of pushing, Hongjoong ends up having an ice cream with the dark-haired boy from the cinema. He ends up realizing that Seonghwa is the boy behind the lead guitar from another band they were up against in their most recent battle of the bands. That must be why he seems so familiar to him.

Hongjoong also ends up learning that everything from today is a set-up. Seonghwa confesses he has bought the tickets for the both of them and has asked (practically begged, actually) his friends to have him watch a movie with him. And daring him is the only way to go as his friends do know that Hongjoong does always love proving himself that he is tough, someone he is not. And his friends are never wrong.

When Hongjoong asks, “Why would you so badly want to watch a movie with me?”

He hears Seonghwa say, “It’s strange that I have never gotten you out of my head since the battle of the bands.”

That’s how Hongjoong ends up here.


End file.
